Enjoy over 45 vegan and gluten-free recipes! Below, you’ll find an abundance of recipes that are free of meat, dairy, eggs, and gluten.
You’ll find main dishes with international influences, creative salads and side dishes, hearty soups and stews, and satisfying breakfasts.
Some recipes require slight substitutions or omissions. Check the recipe notes for details. Always read labels to make sure the recipe is suitable for your needs.
For even more recipes that meet your dietary criteria, use my recipe filters available here and on all category pages.
Creamy Vegan Queso
The best vegan queso recipe—it’s incredibly creamy, yet made without any dairy or processed ingredients! This healthy dairy-free nacho cheese will satisfy the diehard cheese fans in your life, too. Recipe yields about 3 1/2 cups queso.
Epic Baba Ganoush
This baba ganoush recipe is the best! It’s easy to make, too (no food processor required). You’ll need eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and spices. Recipe yields about 1 3/4 cups (enough to serve 4 to 6 as an appetizer).
The Best Guacamole
Learn how to make the best guacamole! This authentic guacamole recipe turns out perfectly every time thanks to a few simple tricks. It’s so easy! Recipe yields about 2 1/2 to 3 cups guacamole, depending on your avocados (divide or multiply as necessary).
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
These roasted chickpeas are extra crispy! Learn the trick to perfectly crispy chickpeas in this simple recipe, plus flavor variations. Recipe yields 1 scant cup; double if desired (see the special instructions in the recipe notes).
Kalamata White Bean Dip
Whip up this white bean dip with Kalamata olives! It easy to make with pantry ingredients and tastes delicious. The sprinkle of fresh basil is optional. Recipe yields about 1 3/4 cups of dip.
The Ultimate Gazpacho
This gazpacho recipe is the best! It’s a refreshing chilled summer soup, perfect for your garden tomatoes and cucumber. Be sure to make it in advance so the soup can chill for at least 2 hours. Recipe yields 5 cups, enough for 4 servings.
Avocado & Citrus “Ceviche”
This seafood-free citrus “ceviche” with avocado makes a wonderful appetizer, side salad or party dip! This vegan ceviche is delicious, colorful and healthy. Recipe yields 6 appetizer or small side salad servings.
Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
This cauliflower rice recipe features fresh Mediterranean flavors, including toasted almonds, lemon and parsley. It’s the perfect light side dish! It’s low carb, vegan and gluten free, too. Recipe yields 4 modest side servings.
Gaby’s Cucumber Salad
Gaby’s cucumber salad recipe is the best cucumber salad I’ve ever had! It’s made with crisp cucumber and creamy avocado tossed in a simple balsamic vinegar dressing. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Herbed Potato Salad (no mayo!)
This healthy potato salad recipe is full of fresh flavor. It’s mayo-free, easy to make, and sure to be a hit at your potluck! This salad is vegan, egg free and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Quick Collard Greens
These collard greens are quickly cooked in olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. You’re going to love these healthy, vegetarian collards! Recipe yields 2 side servings. To make multiples, simply repeat the ingredients and instructions below (cook each batch separately for best results).
Perfect Roasted Potatoes
These golden roasted potatoes are the perfect side dish! The fresh herbs are optional, but quite nice. Recipe yields about 4 generous side servings (see note for multiplying the recipe).
Quick Swiss Chard
This quickly sautéed Swiss chard is lemony, garlicky, and truly irresistible. The key is in the method. Recipe yields 4 modest side servings. Cook another batch in another skillet if desired.
Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach
Reset with this healthy beet salad recipe featuring superfoods like carrot, quinoa, spinach, edamame and avocado. It’s as colorful as it is nutritious! Recipe yields two meal-sized salads or four side salads. If you plan on having leftovers, store the greens separately from the other prepared ingredients and toss just before serving.
French Carrot Salad
This French carrot salad recipe is simple and fresh! You’ll need carrots, olive oil, lemon, honey, cumin, parsley and chives. Chickpeas are optional but recommended. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Creamy Tahini Dressing
You’re going to love this delicious creamy tahini dressing recipe! It’s simple to make, full of nutritious ingredients and goes with everything. Recipe yields about 3/4 cup.
Simple Healthy Slaw
This healthy coleslaw recipe tastes amazing! It’s made with a simple lemon dressing and features toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. It’s gluten free and vegan, which means it’s a perfect potluck dish (you might want to double the ingredients if you’re serving a crowd). Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.
Easy Tomato Salad
Extra tomatoes? Make this simple tomato salad recipe! It’s delicious, versatile and easy to make. This recipe features ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, soaked red onion, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Recipe yields 4 to 6 side salads using 1 3/4 pound tomatoes; you can cut the recipe in half by using either the cherry tomatoes or the pound of regular tomatoes.
Mediterranean Bean Salad
This Mediterranean-style bean salad recipe is delightfully crisp and satisfying. Its fresh flavors include kidney beans, chickpeas, lemon, garlic and leafy herbs. This healthy salad is vegan and gluten free, but mostly just delicious! Recipe yields about six 1-cup servings.
Seaweed Salad
This seaweed salad recipe is colorful, delicious and boldly flavored with sesame dressing. The arame needs to soak for 5 to 10 minutes before using, so you can prepare the vegetables and dressing during that time. Recipe yields 4 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving for 6 cups total).
Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili with Avocado
Hearty, spicy and sweet vegetarian chili made with butternut squash and black beans. Top with creamy avocado for an easy meal that satisfies vegans, carnivores and gluten-free eaters alike. This recipe yields about 12 cups, enough for 4 to 6 bowls. This chili is very hearty, but feel free to add another can of tomatoes or more vegetable broth if you want to thin it out a bit. Double the recipe for a crowd.
Burrito-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Fresh sweet potato burrito bowls from The First Mess Cookbook! This is a fun, hearty dinner recipe that happens to be vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 stuffed sweet potatoes, enough for 2 to 4 servings.
Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
This spaghetti squash burrito bowl recipe is easy to make and so good for you, too! These beautiful vegetarian burrito bowls are also vegan and gluten free, but above all, delicious. Recipe yields 4 burrito bowls.
Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos
Colorful butternut squash tacos with crisp slaw, black beans and guacamole! These tacos are a simple weeknight meal and a great option for vegan and gluten-free eaters. Recipe yields about 8 tacos (4 servings).
Quick Dal Makhani
This dal makhani is rich, creamy and loaded with flavor. It’s also lighter and quicker to make than other recipes! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowl
This buddha bowl recipe is super fresh, delicious and versatile! The rice and veggies and dressing can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Recipe yields 4 meal-sized bowls.
Vegetable Paella
The best vegetable paella recipe! It’s loaded with vegetables, chickpeas, and savory, smoky rice. This Spanish dish is perfect for serving at dinner parties, since it’s vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 hearty servings.
Pinto Posole
This hearty vegan posole is made with pinto beans instead of pork! This easy Mexican posole recipe is healthy, spicy and delicious. Leftovers taste even better the next day. Recipe yields 4 bowls.
Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice
A vegetarian weeknight fried rice with sautéed kale, coconut flakes and rice. The dish is finished with Thai flavors like lime, cilantro and sriracha. For best results, cook your rice in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to start cooking (see note). This dish comes together very quickly—be sure to have your ingredients prepped ahead of time and placed near the stove, along with a big empty bowl for the cooked components. Recipe yields 2 servings.
Crispy Falafel
This homemade falafel recipe is absolutely delicious, and remarkably crispy! Be sure to allow 4 hours soaking time for the chickpeas, preferably overnight. Then, the falafel mixture is super easy to make in a food processor. Recipe yields 12 to 13 falafels (see notes on how to double).
Best Lentil Soup
This simple vegan lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with mostly pantry ingredients. Be sure to have your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking! Recipe yields four large bowls of soup, or six more modest servings.
Homemade Vegetarian Chili
The smoky, complex flavor of this simple vegetarian chili comes from basic pantry ingredients, vegetables and spices! It makes great leftovers, too. Recipe yields 4 large or 6 moderate servings of chili.
Thai Panang Curry with Vegetables
This Thai panang curry recipe is so easy to make at home and tastes better than take-out! This recipe is full of veggies and fresh flavor, and the tofu is optional. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Spicy Black Bean Soup
This healthy black bean soup recipe is easy to make with canned beans. Thanks to some basic aromatics and Cuban spices, it’s incredibly flavorful and delicious. This soup is naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. The recipe yields quite a bit of soup (6 to 8 servings)—it is easily halved, or you can freeze the leftovers.
Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Mujadara is a classic Arabic recipe featuring cooked lentils and rice, caramelized onions, herbs and yogurt. It’s a delicious vegetarian main dish! This version calls for brown rice instead of white (if you want to use white, see recipe notes). Recipe yields 4 generous servings.
Quick Chana Masala
Quick and easy chana masala recipe served over basmati rice. This spicy, hearty, chickpea-based Indian dish is vegan and gluten free. It makes great leftovers, too! Be sure to prep the ingredients in advance, as the recipe moves quickly. Recipe yields 4 bowls.
Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl
This homemade black bean burrito bowl recipe features cilantro-lime rice, tender black beans, pickled onions and fresh cilantro pesto! This healthy bowl makes great leftovers, too. It’s vegetarian (easily vegan) and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 hearty burrito bowls.
Tortilla Soup
Warm up with a bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup, made with black beans instead of chicken. This soup recipe is so fresh and satisfying! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Mini Peanut Butter Cups
Delicious homemade mini peanut butter cups! This recipe is so easy. You’ll need chocolate chips, peanut butter and maple syrup (I add flaky sea salt, too). Recipe yields 15 mini candies; multiply as necessary.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge
Easy chocolate peanut butter freezer fudge! The beautiful swirled pattern on top makes this healthier, naturally sweetened fudge look amazing. Keep in mind that this fudge needs to stay cold to retain its shape, so serve it right from the freezer. Since the recipe uses coconut oil instead of butter, it’s vegan as well as gluten free and paleo friendly. Recipe yields one 9×5-inch pan of fudge. I sliced mine into 1″ square shapes (yielding about 32 pieces), since a little piece of this fudge goes a long way!
Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Quinoa
Epic breakfast quinoa recipe featuring toasted pecans, coconut oil, cinnamon and dried cherries or cranberries. It tastes like cinnamon toast! Recipe as written yields 1 serving; you can multiply it as necessary, as long as you use a suitably sized pot.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
These chocolate peanut butter crispy bars are like modern-day scotcheroos! This recipe is easy to make with wholesome pantry ingredients, and it’s naturally sweetened with honey instead of corn syrup. Keep in mind that these no-bake treats require 2 hours in the refrigerator to set. Recipe yields 16 small treats from one 8-inch square pan (or double the recipe to fill a 9 by 13-inch pan).
Overnight Oats (Recipe & Tips)
Here’s my favorite recipe for overnight oats! Feel free to make it your own. Overnight oats are a simple, healthy breakfast that you can make ahead for busy mornings. The recipe below yields 1 serving, so make as many servings (each in a separate jar) as you’d like. Overnight oats will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Homemade Bircher Muesli
This bircher muesli recipe is so delicious! It’s a healthy way to start the day. Recipe yields 1 serving; I recommend making these oats in multiples of 2 in order to use up 1 apple while making and then 1 more apple for serving.
Tropical Acai Bowl
Make your own creamy acai bowls at home! This acai bowl recipe is the best. You’ll need frozen fruit and acai packets, and fresh fruits, nuts or seeds for toppings. Acai bowls are easy, delicious and nutritious. Recipe yields 4 cups, enough for 2 large servings or 4 small.
Simple Strawberry Smoothie
Make this strawberry smoothie for breakfast (or dessert)! This strawberry smoothie recipe is creamy, luscious and nutritious. It almost tastes like a strawberry milkshake. Recipe yields 2 to 4 servings (about 4 cups); you can easily halve or double the recipe.
The Very Best Granola
This delicious healthy granola recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (or honey). It’s made with oats, coconut oil and your favorite nuts and fruit. Make it your own! Recipe yields about 8 cups granola, enough for about 16 half-cup servings.
